Like many other sports, table tennis began as a mild social diversion（转移，消遣） . Descending（递减，下行） , along with lawn tennis and badminton（羽毛球） , from the ancient medieval（中世纪的） game of tennis. It was popular in England in the second half of the nineteenth century under its present name and various trade names such as Gossima and Whiff-Whaff. After the name Ping-Pong (an imitation of the sound made by the ball striking the table and the vellum牛皮纸 bats that were used) was introduced by J. Jaques & Son, the game became a fashionable craze（狂热） .

The game was popular in Central Europe in 1905-10, and even before this is a modified version had been introduced to Japan, where it later spread to China and Korea. After a period when it had dropped out of favor in Europe, the game was revived in England and Wales in the early twenties. By that time 'Ping-Pong' had been registered as a trademark, so the earlier name of table tennis was re-introduced. National associations were formed and standardization of the rules began, both in Europe and the Far East. Then, over the next sixty years, table tennis developed into a major worldwide sport, played by perhaps thirty million competitive players and by uncountable millions who play less seriously. However, the game itself has not changed in essence since its earliest days, though it is faster, more subtle（微妙的，精细的） and more demanding than it was even only twenty years ago.

One of the first public hints of improved U.S.-China relations came on April 6, 1971, when the American Ping-Pong team, in Japan for the 31st World Table Tennis Championship, received a surprise invitation from their Chinese colleagues for an all-expense paid visit to the People's Republic. Time magazine called it "The ping heard round the world." On April 10, nine players, four officials, and two spouses stepped across a bridge from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland, ushering in（领进，引进） an era of "Ping-Pong diplomacy." They were the first group of Americans allowed into China since the Communist takeover in 1949.

In various ping-pong games, the most famous is the world championship competition, which was held once a year at the beginning, now, it is held twice a year ever since 1957.

In 1904, a shanghai shop keeper called Wang Dao WU, brought 10 sets of table tennis tools home, the game was therein introduced to china.